Prologue
The inner thoughts of Alexander Nicholas Jones.
12th May 2017
What is a hero?
A hero is someone who sacrifices one's own ideals for the sake of a greater good. Someone who will put their body, heart, and soul on the line for a movement greater than their own personal gain. A firefighter, a police officer, a soldier. These are examples of heroes we encounter throughout modern life and times. I often wonder, what will my daughter think of me as she gets older?
Will she see me as a good man?. Will she believe that her father loved her as much as he could through difficult circumstances? Can I rely on my ex-wife to paint a picture of a man who is capable of true love and devotion to his own flesh and blood?. Or am I going to be buried as a monster and an uncaring piece of trash like everyone believes me to be?
I never set out to be anything more than a good man in my personal life.
I never set out to be anything more than a good wrestler in my professional one.
But as life happens your visions of what you want and need have become skewed and distorted. You see when I was a young man. When I first decided I wanted to do this, to be a professional wrestler it was during a time when my entire life was in turmoil. I was 18, my alcoholic father made my life a living hell. As the oldest child, I was looked upon to instill guidance into my younger siblings. My sister Charlene and my brother Dylan. I was the one who had to set the example.
And the example I chose?. To follow your dreams. But that wasn’t enough for my father and I still remember as I walked out the door, a bottle of jack in one hand and a cig in the other he bellowed for me never to show my worthless ungrateful face in his house again.
I never had intentions of going back. So I traveled. I wanted to learn from the best and as I left my family's home in Dallas Texas I went to New York, from there I went to the UK, stopping in Blackpool. I was 19 years old, six months training proper. I was only going to be there a small time. But then I met someone who changed it all….
This is the first time I have put my thoughts down on this and will likely be the last. She was the most amazing person I’d met and seen. She was a small pale girl filled with life. A head full of mousy brown hair. A fiery attitude ready to destroy any and all who doubted her. Someone who had been through more pain than I had but still stood proud. I spent a month getting through that wall to be her friend, another two months laughing and training...learning about life from this teen firecracker….
I left, I promised to go back and she still had her guard up. A guard that came barrelling down the next month when I returned on a work VISA. So many had walked from her life and left her alone that she never expected that I could have meant the words I said….
Friends forever.
She leaped into my arms, she smiled and held on so tight. I felt that heartbeat beneath her chest and as the hours turned to days and then to months the friendship became something more but in our youth, we never took that step. We never broke the bond and became more. And then I had to leave again. A simple phone call from my sister changed it all. My father was dying and had asked for me. So I left, I walked away from my friends, my new career and the young girl I….
I loved.
My father died and the few weeks I was supposed to be home became months. My family needed me and as the bills and responsibilities mounted the time became longer and she moved on. I thought I did too. I worked, I had championships I even married a woman I thought I loved. I had a daughter with her. I thought I had it all but it never felt right and I ended up miserable. It was my fault as much as hers and my whole life fell apart.
Thing is I saw that girl again. She had grown, we were both different but the same and even though I had worked through so much I still felt the same way. I still loved her. And I picked the stupidest moment to be a hero. In being a villain. I forced her to let go for both our sakes. I forced her to hate me. Because that was the only way we could move on. The family and friendship fairytale was just that. A fairytale. And now more than ever I have to be a man….
Now more than ever I have to grow up. Like she always said I should…..
And that. Well, that is true irony……
You questioned my trust but
You held the key to my heart
And had every intention of ripping it apart
You skipped town when I wasn't around
You said it was easier than standing your own ground
Chapter Seven-Back to the roots
Off Camera
Blackpool, England
2 Years Ago.
The smell was the same, the smell of sweat, blood, and musk. The smell of pain and salvation. Alex breathed deep, the sweat pouring from his veins as his hands shake, the tape around his knuckles and wrists stained with blood, still fresh blood. His long hair partly tied back had a few strands down his face, a large cut visible under his right eye.
The crowd, made up of other wrestlers jeered and clapped, they yelled everything from words of encouragement to obscenities. Their English accents making both feelings sound the same. A tap on his shoulder sent Alex to his feet, he bit down on his mouth guard and stepped forward, his ankles and feet taped like his hands wearing a pair of black and white workout shorts.
The young guys standing across smirked arrogantly, the first two rounds went to this kid. In his early twenties, arrogant, cocky, well put together. Alex smiled as the kid bounced on the balls of his feet. They came together in the center of the makeshift ring. The kid lunged forward hitting Alex in the ribs with a low left and then a right cross sending him back…
Fuck he’s fast….
The thought ran through Alex’s mind quickly and back out again as he refocused. The kid threw a fast combo, Alex covered up and felt the shots to his sides then the fists hitting his forearms making a sick crack sound. The feeling was like a 2x4 slamming into him causing Alex to lean back against the lengths of cable pulled around the posts. He grabbed the kid by the head pulling him in, but he reared back and slammed in a hard right sending Alex to his knees, his ears rung, the lights went fuzzy and Alex shook his head trying to clear it out.
Strong too...shit…
He looked over at his corner, Danny Mathias, his trainer from 13 years ago stood cross-armed with a grin, Alex laughed and got to his feet as he heard the “official” count to 7. The kid came back with a laugh giving Alex a nod of arrogance, he came in for the kill, he faked with the left and tried to come over with the right, Alex stepped back, planted his weight on his back foot, bit down hard on the mouth guard and slammed his right fist across the kid’s jaw, a loud crack echoed through the basement.
The kid fell to the floor and didn’t move, everyone went silent as Alex sighed and backed off, they all shuffled out as Danny Walked up to him, his short black hair sprinkled with grey flakes now and a few extra pounds on his already large frame. As Alex dangled his hands over the side Danny started undoing the tape, a few guys helped the kid up, he stumbled on his feet and Alex sighed. “Don’t make em like they used to….”
Danny laughed and sighed shaking his head pulling the tape off Alex’s knuckles. “Be nice, he was a tough kid mate, an he was given you a right beatin…” Alex scoffed and turned back to Danny who sat back on his chair breathing deep. Alex sat down next to him and put his hand on his shoulder ”It’s good seeing you Danny….”
He turned to Alex with a smile and a nod. “Aye, you too kid….I haven’t seen you in….11 years?” Alex raised his eyebrows searching through his bag. “Hows little miss?” The smile faded from Alex’s face as he became more serious. “She’s good...married...has a kid….good….” Danny looked confused and tilted his head as Alex avoided eye contact. “Married to you?”
Alex looked away and slid his own wedding ring back on looking at it before shaking his head. Danny sat back against the chair and folded his arms looking at him up and down. “I always thought you two would make it, ya belonged together you did, seeing how ya carried on in the gym and how she looked at ya I-” “Stop...Danny..just...I didn’t come here to talk about that….”
Alex breathed deeply as Danny moved in closer with his hands on his knees. “Then why did ya come lad?” Alex ground his teeth together looking down at his busted knuckles. The scraped still there despite the tape, his cheek still red and warm as blood trickled from it. Alex stared forward for a moment and a slow smile came across his face.
“To be Alex Jones again…..”
Blast from my own Past.
On Camera
Belfast, Ireland
Present Day.
”Well, this is a bit of a pickle.
Alex Jones sighs deeply as he sits out the front of Belfast Castle in Cavehill Country Park. He smiles slowly and looks up through his long black hair that blows in the Northern Irish wind. His hands slide into the pockets of his jeans as he continues, his Texan accent being a contrast of culture.
”See, the winners of the Blast from the past tournament get title shots and as of Climax Control 231, the current reigning, defending SCW champion is Austin James Mercer. My friend, partner, and fellow wolfslair member. And the entertaining part about SCW and having a collection of talented individuals like us is that we’re going to have clashes at the top. See Austin has become one of the best wrestlers going today. He has stepped up and become the monster we all knew he could be and has lived up to that family legacy. Three world titles in two years. A great record. And on the other side is Alicia Lukas, the current SCW bombshells world champion, a two-time champion now who has been at the top of everywhere she has gone.”
“And me, well. We’ll get to that. But the three of us are looking to take over and now, we’re put in a situation where if Devona and I win, I’ll have to do it by beating Alicia and her partner who she has already dragged kicking and screaming to a win. And then I’ll have to go on to face Austin. Just think about all that. In a very short time, SCW has become the property of Wolfslair.”
“Honor and SCW merged and instantly we have taken over…”
“If only someone would have told you it was going to happen…”
“Oh, wait. I did.”
Alex pauses for a moment as that arrogant grin crosses his lips again, his hands slide from the pockets of his jeans as his arms move and fold over his chest in a very matter of fact way.
”When I came to SCW when I stood beside Austin in that ring for the first time I warned you all. I warned you that we were taking over and you all thought I was full of shit. Gamer INC ran their mouths about facing me in my debut with Austin, they thought we were a joke and we buried them. Since then we have all gone on to be successes. I earned my way into a fourway for the SCW title and came up short due to someone else getting pinned, I have been ready to show how dominant I can be all the while watching with pride as my friends and trainees become champions.”
“But make no mistake, as good as Alicia is, as dominant as Austin is, I am the best in-ring competitor out of the three of us.”
“I am a nine-time world champion, I am a legend in this business and I am one of the best professional wrestlers on this planet and entering the Blast from the past was to help show that. And I was ready to be teamed up with anyone. I would have loved for it to have been Alicia but, I also know that would have been waaaay to unfair for the rest of the field. We have to give them all a chance right?. Hell, I was ready to be teamed up with Amanda fucking Cortez and have to drag her disgusting aids ridden pornographic ass to the ring and to the winner's circle.”
“Shit I would have even teamed up with Megan “Otaki” Treamon, and would have gladly compensated for her lower than average IQ and none existent wrestling ability…”
“But, I’m happy to say that I didn’t have to. See SCW gave me a partner that, well, after doing some research I have found to be a woman of great potential. See Devona is an amazing athletic talent and I know she has been here before and just under two years ago she was making waves in SCW and was even the Internet champion at one point, and not only was she the internet champion she beat Mikah for it, a woman who was one of the most dominant SCW Bombshells of all time.”
“But, she should have been even bigger and better…”
Alex shrugs and moves across the front of the castle.
”That is not meant to be disrespect by the way. That is just my opinion that Devona could be one of the best of the best. She could be a future legend and hall of famer. But she faded away. Like some others. Like Dani Weston recently has. But this time, Devona, I need you to bring the heat. I need you to bring that fire and I need you to be my partner. See we can and will do this. And Devona will go on to face Alicia in a match that...well shit, to be honest, I’d pay to see that and sit in the front row….”
“Before we can think about that though, well we have to get past our first round opponents. Teddy Warren and Daniela Rodgers. I know of Teddy, I know the kind of cuck...I mean “man” he is and I know Daniela is part of that...SCU place. Look, Daniela is going to get destroyed by Devona. See Devona is an athletic firecracker ready to explode and Daniela, well, Daniela is just dome scrub from the development territory. Everyone who tries to scratch and claw their way out of that hell hole has failed. The Three Way is down there and lord knows they suck. Not to mention Jerry Cann, a guy who is quite literally named after a piece of tin. But now Daniela Rodgers wants to sign up for this tournament and think she means something?”
“Sweetheart, even if you were talented. Which you might be, I don’t know, I don’t have time to watch SCU’s shows, I’m usually doing much more important things like scratching my balls or playing with my cat, but even if you were talented…..you’re stuck with Teddy Warren as a partner…”
Alex sighs and rolls his eyes looking frustrated he even has to address Teddy.
”You know, if it was Todd in this match I’d actually be entertained and jazzed up for it. See at least Todd is an impressive athlete. At least Todd can be funny. And I mean funny haha not funny sad like you Teddy. I mean, what the hell are you doing man?. You entered this tournament for what?. Look at your family, look at all of them and what they’ve accomplished. You’re the least talented member.”
“Your wife has a title shot in a briefcase and has been pretty impressive lately.”
“But you?. You just keep popping up at the most inconvenient times.”
“Kind of like the clap, one random night in Vegas and boom, stuck with an itchy rash for life. Of course, I’m sure one random night in Vegas is how a lot of things in your life have happened. Your conception, your marriage to Kate, her suddenly discovering she’s a lesbian only to, for some odd, odd reason take you back.”
“You’re a mess Teddy, an absolute mess and the fact that I, a fucking nine-time champion have to lower myself to stomping out any pieces of credibility you believe you have left makes me sick. But here we are. My continuation in the Blast from the past tournament all relies on me, breaking you in half, like the piece of shit you are and walking away. So that Teddy is what Devona and I are going to do. And when I’m done kicking your ass, please for the love of good, look in the mirror, look deep down inside yourself and realize that you are better off being Kate’s bitchboy house husband. Because YOU, unlike Todd, do not mean business…”
Alex shakes his head and scoffs taking one last look at Belfast Castle as we cut to black.
